View Full Version : Connex Audio Silver Mains Cable
This is a good looking power cable using 0.6mm pure silver conductors, three cores for each conductor, wound in Litz style with the three conductors themselves braided. Insulation is oversized PTFE Teflon for an air dielectric. There is a snap choke close to the IEC connector to further improve RF rejection. The UK plug is a silver plated MK Toughplug and the IEC connector is a Wattgate 320i, both connectors cryo treated. The cable is finished in an attractive white braid.
For the materials cost and build quality alone, it seems very good value at a delivered price of £148.49.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8489/8227172118_d73781445b_b.jpg
Right from the outset this cable has a wide open, detailed quality to it with very vivid presentation and well developed deep soundstage, when compared with my Russ Andrews High Current Powerkord which sounds darker in comparison. Instruments buried deep in the mix are highlighted very pleasingly and the cable already has a sense of 'rightness' in its sound. Not bad for a new silver cable as it's been my experience that silver needs a lot more burn-in than copper.
I'm going to put 100-150 hours on it before conducting a serious comparison between the two cables.
Mr Kipling
09-08-2012, 22:56
Hi Martin,
Do you know if the three individual cores of each conductor are insulated from each other and braided together before the three conductors are braided?
Kind Regards,
Stephen
Hi Stephen
I'll have to open up the cable to visually confirm. Their claim is "Nine cores of 0.6mm 99.99+% solid silver conductors in oversize PTFE Teflon insulation for 99.9% air dielectric. Three conductors per terminal. Braided into three balanced litz braids for advanced noise suppression and EMF rejection."
I'll check tonight.
I can imagine its making a big difference on the Ayre
Might be worth trying some RFI blockers on it
l run some Connex Audio 5N Solid Silver speaker cable and it sounds superb- full, smooth and musical, and l also use their i/c and that is a really smooth sounding cable for not too much wonga:)
I can imagine its making a big difference on the Ayre
Might be worth trying some RFI blockers on it
It's very good with the Ayre, John. I'm going to try it with my phono preamp tonight.
It already has an RF blocker at the IEC end, you can see it in the photo.
Interesting. I've seen their stuff on ebay. I wondered about possibly purchasing.
I wonder how good the iec is? I have had good results from Oyaide c-37, iego gold plated iec and now Furutech carbonfibre. I expect a better plug and iec may give a good uplift on this cable. The solid silver iego iec looks interesting and may work well here.
A better Fururtech plug has made a good improvement on my system.
I am moving towards all silver interconnects. Oyaide silver cable with wbt silver plugs. They sound good to me. Silver speaker cables are a likely purchase. I have gotten a quote from Yannis but have had some unforeseen expenses causing a delay in possibly purchasing.
The Wattgate 320i is quite tight fitting, though I think I'll be putting a Furutech FI-11Ag on it at some point.
Tom at Connex Audio is very open to custom requests and is going to quote me for a double-conductor version with 16A IEC connector to try with my power amp.
I've just noticed the iec is a wattgate. Therefore, I'd change the plug before the iec.
The plug is a silver plated MK Toughplug, no need to replace it as the connection is tight. The IEC is just a copper Wattgate.
jandl100
13-08-2012, 08:14
I had the Connex Audio 'Ultimate' pure silver interconnect cables. Nice sound, but a bit too smooth for me. Treble should be smooth, but not smoothed over, and the Connex were tending to the latter in my system. That was Litz braiding - strangely, I generally find Litz-wound cables to be too smooth ... :scratch:
I have to confess to not being a fan of your reference Russ Andrews mains cable anyway, Martin! ;)
I'm currently using LAT AC2 and find it very good.
It's disconcerting how much difference mains cables can make to the sound of kit! - also quite synergy dependent, I suspect.
Try taking the ferrite choke off - I find that often constricts the sound.
More listening to the Connex silver power cable, now with about 80 hours' burn-in, reveals more of what I first heard. This is a very good cable and, over and above the Russ Andrews High Current cable I was previously using to power the Ayre SACD player, it really grooves along with great rhythm. Specifically, I am hearing a better developed soundstage with slightly improved vocal focus, more midrange fine detail, and deeper, more powerful and more extended bass. There is also most definitely more dynamic clout, revealing the RA as rather soft in this respect. My system has pretty damned outstanding clout, so you can imagine my excitement at any improvement in this area.
Since the Wattgate 320i slightly lets the pure silver story down from terminal to terminal, I'm going to try a silver plated IeGo IEC plug on it when I receive it from Dave Brooks. If, as I suspect, this improves things, then I will order some more cables from Connex in this form. Remember that one of my targets is great SPPV, so no super-expensive Furutech or Oyaide plugs here. I wanted to see what could be achieved with reasonably priced components.
So far, so very good.
It's disconcerting how much difference mains cables can make to the sound of kit! - also quite synergy dependent, I suspect.
Try taking the ferrite choke off - I find that often constricts the sound.
Agree
Using better connections will be interesting what this does I might do the same
I'll hopefully get the plug tomorrow, John. I will definitely report on how it goes.
I'll hopefully get the plug tomorrow, John. I will definitely report on how it goes.
Please do Martin this could be interesting!:)
Yes, the IeGO IEC connector raises the Connex performance level a little further and makes it silver all the way through. I also removed the snap choke as my system has regenerated power and doesn't need them.
An altogether fine cable, especially for the money. About 110 hours on it now. Think I'm going to order some more - in this configuration. Meanwhile, I have a double-cores special coming soon to try on the power amp.
I was sceptical of iecs until I tried an Oyaide (was lucky to get a second hand one). I am interested how much improvement would come about by changing the actual iec socket on the component.
Yes, the IeGO IEC connector raises the Connex performance level a little further and makes it silver all the way through. I also removed the snap choke as my system has regenerated power and doesn't need them.
An altogether fine cable, especially for the money. About 110 hours on it now. Think I'm going to order some more - in this configuration. Meanwhile, I have a double-cores special coming soon to try on the power amp.
Anything else to report Martin or does that go in another thread? :)
The IeGo IEC connector is worthy of it's own strokes of genius thread as you get pure furukawa copper pins, acid bathed to remove impurities then vapour deposited with silver from melted down coins and the whole connector is cryo treated. Of course I could not post it there could I!
I was sceptical of iecs until I tried an Oyaide (was lucky to get a second hand one). I am interested how much improvement would come about by changing the actual iec socket on the component.
A big difference for a lot of people it seems...
http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/874-thickbox/iego-audio-pure-silver-iec-inlet.jpg
I actually change my IEC inlet last night on my Canor amp for a Furutech one with internal fuse holder, subtle but still improved, oh and don't forget the fuse as well.
Hi Martin,
Do you know if the three individual cores of each conductor are insulated from each other and braided together before the three conductors are braided?
Kind Regards,
Stephen
If it's Litz cable, then yes, they should be insulated form each other by a layer of enamel or similar.
Confirmed - they are insulated from each other and soldered together at the ends.
Oh, and thanks again to Dave for supplying the IeGO connector. I do agree it's a massive bargain at its price.
A big difference for a lot of people it seems...
http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/874-thickbox/iego-audio-pure-silver-iec-inlet.jpg
I actually change my IEC inlet last night on my Canor amp for a Furutech one with internal fuse holder, subtle but still improved, oh and don't forget the fuse as well.
Does that need any soldering David? What about the Iego ones? You don't have the copper iego inlet do you?
Confirmed - they are insulated from each other and soldered together at the ends.
soldered, it always amazes me, why go to the trouble of using pure silver wire then adding 90% tin, the worst conductor going!
Does that need any soldering David? What about the Iego ones? You don't have the copper iego inlet do you?
Furutech make one that does not need soldering, iego have a copper one which I keep, the ones I sell most of are these below, it depends if your kit has a fused or un-fused inlet really, the one below needs soldering, the one below that doesn't.
http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/295-large/furutech-fi-03-iec-inlet-rhodium.jpg
http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/298-large/furutech-fi-10-iec-inlet-sockets.jpg
I received the double-Connex (double the silver cores, braided) with Furutech rhodium plug and IeGO silver plated IEC, and it's very good. I'm currently using it to drive the Whest phono preamp having previously tried it with the Ayre SACD player (good in that position, too).
However, Dave's No. 9 is a very close contender and I'm awaiting another one (my current one is powering the Pass preamp) so that I can conduct a proper shootout.
Look out for more thoughts on the No. 9 soon. I'm very impressed.
I received the double-Connex (double the silver cores, braided) with Furutech rhodium plug and IeGO silver plated IEC, and it's very good. I'm currently using it to drive the Whest phono preamp having previously tried it with the Ayre SACD player (good in that position, too).
However, Dave's No. 9 is a very close contender and I'm awaiting another one (my current one is powering the Pass preamp) so that I can conduct a proper shootout.
Look out for more thoughts on the No. 9 soon. I'm very impressed.
Is the no.9 a special order item, because i can't find it on the MCRUS website? :scratch:
It doesn't seem to be on the website but I believe Dave has it available as standard. I'll let him respond when he sees this.
brian2957
12-09-2012, 21:28
Is the no.9 a special order item, because i can't find it on the MCRUS website? :scratch:
Is this it http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAINS-CABLES-R-US-NO-9-FIG-8-MAINS-LEAD-SKY-HD-BD-/350458132859?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Power_Ca bles_Connectors&hash=item5198eeb97b
It looks nothing like the chunky No. 9 I'm using. Hopefully Dave will clarify?
The number 9 on ebay was an old design, the new no.9 was basically a challenge someone set me a while ago to make them a mains lead loom for bel canto equipment that beat their existing power cable set up (from who I could not say!). I made the set up and it was a revelation in that system, afterwards I refined the design and added a few extra tweaks here and there, not simply a case of taking a length of wire and fitting a plug and a connector, anyone can do that, what I do and continue to do is experiment with terminations, which metals perform best together, plated or un-plated, cryo treated or not, soldered or crimped etc, etc.
The result of the latest research was the No.9 which Martin is using, I will leave it to Martin to tell you what he thinks of it, it's close to the Ultimate in performance, sits below it in the performance tables, I have got it right with this cable, it's not massively expensive and it sounds, well Martin will tell you soon I am sure.
I will post a link to it after Martin's review as I would like him to tell you all about it first.
brian2957
18-09-2012, 19:53
Thanks David , look forward to Martins' thoughts.
No. 9 thoughts coming soon!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2026 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.